It's also possible for someone to shoot an animal without a hunting license, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't have hunting licenses. Someone can, and frequently do, shoot guns without training, yet we still require hunter education to legally hunt. So we just stop requiring licenses and education because some don't abide by the rules?
And avalanche education absolutely lowers risks, if for nothing else, by teaching people what to look for and hopefully make informed decisions that are more safe than someone without the knowledge. I wish every person I came in contact with in the backcountry had avalanche safety training. It would definitely help lower risks for everyone involved.
Maybe I am just slow, but your reasoning seems fairly nonsensical to me.
There is a debate in the avalanche profession about whether avalanche education actually reduces human caused avalanches. Here's a quote from a member of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center:
“These are small numbers, but this would suggest that there were more people with advanced experience and avalanche education getting involved in accidents after the shutdown and any increase in accidents was not due to more beginners getting into trouble,” he said.
Studying avalanche trends is tricky. Detailed statistics tend to focus only on avalanches involving fatalities. No one knows how many skiers and snowmobilers head into the snowy backcountry every season, so it’s impossible to know the rates of accidents. Avalanche researchers rely on voluntarily...
coloradosun.com
We require hunting licenses because we need to control the harvest of wildlife. Firearms are a danger to other hunters. And while avalanches triggered by one party can affect another, most of the avalanches involving humans are triggered by the person who is caught or by someone in their own party.
We don't require licenses to hike in the wilderness. We don't require licenses to climb in most location in America, and there are far more calls to search and rescue for non-avalanche related outdoor activities.
Requiring education would ensure that only those with significant financial means would participate and use our public lands in winter. Not very egalitarian.
Still, I do believe that folk who are going into the backcountry in winter should learn how to safely travel in the backcountry. I think avalanche training is useful, but it isn't a panacea.
I think your suggestion was well intentioned, but to me it is impractical, discriminatory, and frankly smacks of the nanny state.
Mike
PS. I have my avalanche 1 certification and have done a fair amount of backcountry skiing out of a helicopter or on AT skis, all with a guide. I do not feel confident to ski backcountry in Colorado with my skills and experience.
